Apparatus for treating yarn



May 16, 1967 c, MJ RICE 3,319,411

APPARATUS FOR TREATING YARN 7 Filed March 31, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

CHARLES M. RICE ATTORN'E May 16, 1967 C.'M. RICE APPARATUS FOR TREATING YARN 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed March 31, 1965 FIG.'2'

Mibll ll:- I

INVENTOR. CHARLES M. RICE ATTORN United States Patent 3,319,411 APPARATUS FOR TREATING YARN Charles M. Rice, Candler, N.(I., assignor to The American Erika Corporation, Erika, N.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 31, 1965, Ser. No. 444,283 14 Claims. (Cl. 57-383) This invention relates generally to the production of novelty yarn or thread and more particularly to an apparatus for irregularly or intermittently elongating yarn to produce a thick-and-thin or nubby effect therein.

Apparatus and processes of the general type here under consideration have been known for a number of years and have been used to produce novelty type thick-and-thin yarn having a variety of end uses in woven, knit and 111 textured fabrics. Patent No. 2,116,660 to C. Hutson and Patent No. 2,278,888 to E. V. Lewis, for example, describe systems for periodically lengthening the yarn draw path to produce nubs or enlarged portions in otherwise normal yarn. A variable denier effect is obtained by shifting yarn laterally out of a normally straight path of travel to superimpose a secondary elongation on a primary elongation produced by draw rolls or godets.

Many types of apparatus have been devised for shifting yarn laterally as described above. The two patents mentioned supra illustrate reciprocating bars; on the other hand, eccentric wheels, rotary bars, and other cam-shaped devices have also been used. For example, see Patent No. 1,898,085 to H. Dreyfus et al., Patent No. 2,004,139 to W. I. Taylor and Patent No. 2,038,722 to H. Dreyfus et al.

While the apparatus disclosed in these patents will produce a variation in the draw ratio, and therefore a variable denier yarn, it has been found that considerable repeat or pattern effect occurs. If the thickened (or thin) portions appear along the length of yarn with any regularity, then the same or a proportionate regularity in appearance occurs in goods woven or knitted into fabric from this yarn. Although elaborate systems for producing, for practical purposes, a completely random impulse and random nub have been proposed (see for example U.S. Patent No. 2,595,220 to W. C. Anderson, No. 2,622,282 to D. G. C. Hare, and No. 2,878,636 to J. W. Hicks et al.), these mechanisms are expensive and require a great deal of skill for continued operation. Moreover, complete renovation of, or at least extensive modification to, existing equipment is usually required for use of the known apparatus in producing nubby yarn.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for producing thick-and-thin yarn not having the disadvantages enumerated above.

An important object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for manufacturing thick-and-thin yarn which responds immediately upon receipt of a signal to vary the denier of yarn being processed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment for converting existing textile machinery into nubby yarn production equipment without major modification.

Still another object of this invention is to provide thickand-thin yarn production equipment which may be adjusted with relative ease for controlling nub length, spacing of nubs, thickness of nubs, and denier variations of the thick-and-thin portions.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a thick-and-thin yarn-producing machine capable of .point to point uniformity in products but having a thick-and-thin pattern which does not repeat sufliciently often to produce a barr effect when the yarn is processed into fabric.

ice

A further object of this invention is to produce a thickand-thin yarn having a pleasing hand and appearance when woven or knitted into fabrics.

An'additional object of the present invention is to provide equipment for varying the draw ratio of existing machinery at a minimum of installation and maintenance expense.

Another object of this invention is to provide a yarn treating apparatus which is foolproof in operation, which requires very little additional power, which does not damage yarn being treated, and which produces a pronounced variable denier effect in yarn being processed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an attachment for a yarn drawtwisting machine which, when activated, with intermittently and randomly vary the extent of draw of yarn being processed but which may be easily inactivated to permit normal or fixed drawratio of yarn by the same machine.

These and other objects may be accomplished, in accordance with this invention, by adding mechanism to superimpose a secondary draw onto the normal or primary draw, and by periodically activating and deactivating the secondary draw mechanism. Preferably, a rotary mechanism is provided and the means for de-activating the drive therefor operates simultaneously to lock the same against further rotation, thereby affording a quick responsiveness and a more positive control over the end product.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of a portion of a conventional drawtwisting machine, together with the variable denier equipment of the present invention mounted in rotating position; and

FIGURE 2 is a partial schematic view similar to FIG- URE 1 but showing the variable denier producing equipment in a non-rotating position.

The apparatus shown and identified generally by numeral 10 represents the draw section of a conventional drawtwisting machine. While only one position has been shown, it will be apparent that a multiplicity of feed rollers, idler rollers and draw godets exist on either side of this machine. Moreover, it will be equally apparent that yarn 11 is drawn off a supply package (which has not been shown), and eventually is fed to a collection pirn (which also has not been shown). While this equipment generally is used for both drawing and twisting yarn, the principle of this invention is equally applicable to machinery which draws but does not impart twist during collection.

In the customary use of the textile machinery here involved, yarn 11 is fed from the undisclosed supply package across a fixed guide bar 12 and then onto idler roller 13, after which the yarn is passed a number of times back and forth between these elements. After suflicient wraps to insure snubbing, the yarn is passed from the guide bar 12 and roller 13 onto feed roller 14 which is driven by conventional means (not shown) normally common to all processing positions on an individual machine. Usually, yarn 11 would be fed directly from feed roller '14 through the dotted line position A onto draw pins 15, 16, and then onto draw godet 17 and separator roller 18. The draw godet 17 is also driven by means (not shown) common to several operating positions, but at a speed higher than that of feed roller 14. For treatment of polyamide yarns, the draw godet 17 would normally be rotated at a surface speed three or four times that of feed roller 14. Other draw ratios of course would be used for other types of yarn, such as polyesters and acrylics. Yarn 11 is passed alternatively around draw godet 17 and separator roller 18 a sufficient number of times to prevent slippage during drawing, and is then fed to a suitable take-up suchas the ring twister mentioned above.

The present invention contemplates the addition of a nub wheel 20 freely rotatably supported on an arm 21 which is pivoted as at 22 either to a base frame or to some stationary portion of the draw twist machine. In either event, the arm is urged by spring 23 in a direction affording contact between wheel 20 and the feed roller 14. When unrestrained, therefore, nub wheel 20 will be urged into contact with driven feed roller 14 and will be rotated thereby. A friction tire (not shown) of rubber or synthetic material may be added to the wheel 20 in order to insure a more positive contact between this wheel and the feed roller.

A nub pin 24 is mounted eccentrically onto nub wheel 20 and extends in a direction parallel to the axis of rtation. The pin of course rotates with the wheel when the wheel is in contact with the feed roller. Yarn 11 is directed from feed roller 14 about nub pin 24 prior to passage about draw pin 15. A stationary guide pin 25 fixed onto arm 21 is used for forcing yarn 11 back into the normal draw path A. When wheel 20 rotates, yarn 11 is drawn laterally out of normal draw path A and oscillates between the maximum length position designated by path B and the minimum length position designated with a dotted line as path C.

When utilizing the variable denier attachment described above, yarn 11 no longer is confined to path A but oscillates within the confined area described above. It will be seen, therefore, that a secondary drawing of a variable amount depending upon the motion of nub pin 24 will be superimposed upon the primary draw produced by the difference in speed between the draw godet 17 and feed roller 14. The system described above is similar to prior art patents mentioned earlier, such as 2,038,722 to H. Dreyfus et al., so long as the nub wheel 20 is driven by feed roller 14. In other words, a uniform and predictable lateral stretch or draw is periodically produced by oscillation of nub pin 24 within the extreme path limits. This system therefore would produce the same pattern effect which has been described hereinabove as being undesirable.

By application of a well known pin wheel or other type of signal generator, it has been found that the lateral draw produced by wheel 20 can be placed on a substantially random basis and that yarn produced therefrom is free from undesirable repeat patterns when woven or knitted into fabric. This is particularly true since the amount of secondary draw produced depends upon which portion of its circular path pin 24 is traversing at any given moment. Accordingly, the present invention is believed to reside in the following means for controlling rotation of wheel 20 through intermittent contact with feed roller 14.

A signal generator or pin wheel 26 of the general type shown and described in either the aforementioned Patent No. 2,116,660 to C. Hutson or in Patent No. 2,304,902 to W. J. Elvin et al., has been provided for opening and closing a micro-switch 27. This switch, as will be seen by comparing FIGURES 1 and 2 (where like reference numerals identify like parts), energizes and de-energizes solenoid 28 from battery or other electrical power supply 30. The armature 31 of solenoid 28 is pivotally connected to braking arm 32 of a brake mechanism generally indicated at 33.. The brake mechanism is pivotally mounted as at 34 onto the same base which supports arm 21, or to any suitable portion of the drawtwisting machine, alongside nub wheel 20. A brake shoe 35 of suitable friction material is secured to arm 32 in a position for engagement with the rim or periphery of wheel 20 during operation. Spring 36 normally urges brake mechanism 33 into engagement with wheel 20 where, as will be seen from FIGURE 2, the shoe 35 not only engages the rim of this wheel to prevent further rotation, but also serves an additional function of forcing the wheel 20 and arm 21 about pivot 22 so that the wheel no longer contacts feed roller 14. 'The relative strength or tension of springs 23 and 36 is selected to permit this dual function in the brake mechanism 33.

In the operation of the apparatus described above, signal generator or pin wheel 26 is rotated by any known means at a constant or at a variable speed, as desired. The various pins 37 extending radially therefrom may be equally spaced around the periphery of pin wheel 26 but preferably are unequally spaced in order to avoid the undesired irregularity of events described earlier. These pins periodically one and close the switch 27 and of course periodically energize and de-energize solenoid 28 so that spring 36 may periodically force brake shoe 35 into engagement with the rim of nub wheel 20. The pressure of brake shoe 35 on the rim causes immediate disengagement between wheel 20 and feed roller 14, due to the location of pivot 22, and also prevents further rotation of wheel 20* because of momentum. Furthermore, the brake shoe 35 prevents the tensioned yarn 11 from rotating wheel 20 back to the minimum path position shown at C. Subsequent energization of solenoid 28 through roation of signal generator 26 will overcome the pressure imparted by spring 36 and will release brake shoe 35 from contact with the rim of wheel 20. When this occurs, tension spring 23 forces arm 21 in a clockwise position as shown in FIGURE 1, thereby urging wheel 20 into contact with feed roller 14 to receive rotation therefrom. The foregoing cyclic operation continues on an intermittent basis so long as pin wheel 26 opens and closes switch 27.

As explained briefly hereinabove, a primary draw occurs in yarn 11 when wheel 20 is locked against rotation. This may be construed as a first phase of operation. When the wheel rotates to move pin 24 outwardly in a path-lengthening direction, an additional or secondary draw occurs, representing a second phase of operation. A third phase is achieved when pin 24 moves toward draw godet 14 to shorten the draw path. As a matter of interest, the amount of draw in this third phase is variable and less than that produced in the primary draw stage. Each phase generally can be discerned when yarn produced by this system is dyed.

If it is desired that regular drawn yarn be produced without secondary draw superimposed thereon, the mechanism for driving signal generator 26 may be disconnected therefrom and the circuitry may be left in the open position. With solenoid 28 de-energized, spring 36 will maintain nub wheel '20 out of contact with the feed roller and yarn 11 may be removed from pin 24 and returned to the conventional draw path A shown in FIG- URE 1. It will be seen therefore that this invention may be added to existing draw twist or draw winding equipment without modification thereto and, furthermore, may be activated or de-activated without difliculty.

If space permits, arm 21 may be shifted past a dead center position between spring 23 and pivot 22 to use the spring for locking wheel 20 in a completely inactivated and inoperative position, should it be desired to discontinue operation of one point while permitting operation of other points through rotation of the signal generator 26. A single source of power 30 may be used for operating a plurality of solenoids 28, as represented by the additional coil 38 mounted parallel to the solenoid 28 in FIGURE 2. As a matter of interest, there are normally about 72 separate positions on each side of a standard draw twisting machine. Accordingly, a single generator could be used for the entire 144 positions, or one generator per group of positions coud be used if desired.

Other alternatives will become obvious from a review of the description appearing hereinabove. For example, signal generators other than the pin wheel 26 (such as photo-electric means, signal-producing recording devices, steel tapes, or radiation from cosmic rays) could be used. Moreover, it will be apparent that the solenoid means could inactivate the variable denier equipment and the spring means could activate the same, rather than the converse operation illustrated. Additionally, a separate signal generator could be provided for each braking dev1ce.

Furthermore, the wheel 20 could be braked constantly with the feed roller intermittently overcoming the braking action, or the brake could be applied to selected portions of the wheel when the same is out of contact with the feed roller, if further random occurrence were desired. It is preferred, however, that the brake be used for moving wheel 20 out of contact with the feed roller and for simultaneously locking the wheel against rotation, as described hereinabove.

Multiand mono-filament yarns produced with the mechanism of this invention have been found to have utility in an unlimited variety of end products varying from upholstery and drapery material to taffeta and other dress goods. The desired properties of this material are found to exist when the same is woven, when knitted, or when textured. While a change in filament size of course occurs by superimposing secondary draw onto selected portions of previously drawn yarn, a more important result has been found to reside in the different dyeing afiinity of these sections. Accordingly, a novelty fabric may he produced because of darker dyeing in the more elongated sections of yarn even though the difference in size or diameter might not be noticeable to the naked eye.

The amount of draw imposed by nub wheel 20 may be varied by the duration of each cycle (i.e., by the amount of time solenoid 28 is energized), by the distance of pin 24 from the center of wheel 20, by the diameter of the wheel 20, by the speed of rotation of signal generator 26, by the frequency of occurrence of pins 37 thereon, and by various other means. It has been found, however, that the most desirable results-01" the least occurrence of a pattern effect in fabricis produced if the wheel 20 is permitted to rotate approximately one revolution per cycle or per operation of solenoid 28. If significantly more than one rotation occurs, it will be seen that the wheel 20 will operate similar to the heretofore known devices such as shown in aforesaid Patent No. 2,038,722, and an undesirable repeat pattern will be produced in fabric 'woven or knitted from the treated yarn. Since the operation of brake shoe 35 determines the beginning and terminal positions of pin 24 during each cycle, and inasmuch as normal draw occurs while wheel 20 is maintained locked in the FIGURE 2 position, it will be seen that duplication of the position of pin 24 during any two successive cycles is highly unlikely. Accordingly, it has been found that the system described herein produces nubby or thick-and-thin yarn of such random occurrence that more elaborate mechanisms to prevent a pattern effect are not necessary.

Inasmuch as other advantages, objects and alternatives will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the foregoing, it is intended that the scope of this invention be limited only to the extent set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for producing variable denier yarn comcomprising a nub wheel having a pin extending outwardly therefrom for engaging yarn and for lengthening the path of travel to elongate the yarn, and means for alternately driving and braking said nub wheel.

2. Apparatus for producing variable denier yarn comprising a driven feed roller for supplying yarn along a normal path of travel, a nub wheel driven by said feed roller and having a pin thereon for drawing yarn laterally out of said normal path of travel, and means for intermittently braking said nub wheel against rotation.

3. Apparatus for producing thick-and-thin yarn comprising a drive roller, a freely rotatable nub wheel having a pin extending outwardly therefrom for engaging yarn urged into contact with an rotated by said drive roller, and means for randomly shifting said nu-b wheel into and out of contact with said drive roller and for braking said nub wheel against rotation when not in contact with the drive roller.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means for shifting said nub wheel also operates for braking the same against rotation.

5. Apparatus for producing nubby yarn comprising a nub wheel having a pin extending outwardly therefrom for engaging yarn, means for imparting rotation to said nub wheel at random intervals, and means for simultaneously preventing rotation of said nub wheel while disengaging the same from said rotation imparting means.

6. Apparatus for producing variable denier yarn comprising a friction driven wheel having a pin extending outwardly therefrom for engaging yarn, and means for intermittently driving said wheel to shift yarn engaged by said pin laterally out of a normal path of travel and for extending said yarn longitudinally.

7. Apparatus for producing thick-and-thin yarn comprising means for supplying yarn along a rectilinear path, means for imparting a primary longitudinal elongation to yarn supplied along said rectilinear path, a nub wheel rotated periodically by said yarn supply means, said nub wheel having a guide pin extending therefrom for engaging said yarn and for shifting the same laterally toward and away from said path during rotation of said nub wheel to superimpose in said yarn a secondary longitudinal elongation on said primary longitudinal elongation and thereby produce a thick-and-thin effect, and means for randomly discontinuing rotation of said nub wheel.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said means for randomly discontinuing rotation of said nub wheel also operates to disconnect the same from said yarn supply means.

9. Apparatus for producing a variable denier yarn comprising a feed roller for supplying yarn along a rectilinear path, a draw godet for imparting a primary elongation to said yarn during passage along said rectilinear path, a freely rotatable nub wheel supported alongside said feed roller and adapted for movement into and out of contact therewith for periodic rotation thereby, said nub wheel having a guide pin extending outwardly therefrom for engaging said yarn and for shifting the same toward and away from said rectilinear path during rotation of said nub wheel to impart a secondary elongation thereto, a brake mechanism mounted adjacent said nub wheel, said brake mechanism being urged into contact with said nub wheel for shifting the same out of contact with said feed roller and for preventing rotation of the nub wheel, and means for intermittently activating and inactivating said brake mechanism to release said nub wheel for engagement with and for rotation by said feed roller.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein said last named means is timed to permit no more than one revolution of said nub wheel during each activation cycle.

11. An attachment for a textile machine comprising a base, an arm pivot-ally mounted on said base, a wheel freely rotatably supported by the free end of said arm, a guide pin supported by and extending from said wheel in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation, and a brake mechanism supported by said brake, said brake mechanism including a brake shoe overlying the rim of said wheel and adapted for engagement therewith in one position of operation and for disengagement therewith in another position of operation.

12. An attachment as set forth in claim 11 and further comprising means for maintaining said brake shoe in one position of operation.

13. An attachment as set forth in claim 12 wherein said last-named means maintains said brake shoe in contact with the rim of said wheel.

14. An attachment as set forth in claim 12 wherein said last-named means maintains said brake shoe out of contact with the rim of said wheel.

(References on following page) 6/1935 Taylor 57140 4/1936 Dreyfus et a1 5791 X 12/1936 Taylor et a1. 57 91 X 2/ 1942 Hofiman.

8 2,278,888 4/1942 Lewis 57149 X 3,105,349 10/1963 Palm et a1. 5791 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,173,970 3/1956 Fr-ance.

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

D. E. WATKINS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VARIABLE DENIER YARN COMPRISING A NUB WHEEL HAVING A PIN EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM FOR ENGAGING YARN AND FOR LENGTHENING THE PATH OF TRAVEL TO ELONGATE THE YARN, AND MEANS FOR ALTERNATELY DRIVING AND BRAKING SAID NUB WHEEL. 